In the spring when you’re working along forest trails looking for wildlife and birds, every once and a while you can come across an opening or glade just bursting with colour as all the plants bloom and fight for the small patch of light shining amongst the trees. I came across such an opening on a trail near Quesnel, BC back in June and standing proudest and brightest amongst all the blooms was this beautiful, bright orange wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum). This spectacular lily can also be found in a red phase, (sometimes called the western red lily) and is also known as the the Philadelphia lily in the US. Wood lilies are not commonly found wild on the BC coast but are found in the interior of British Columbia and eastwards as far as Quebec. These pretty flowers have distinctive petals that narrow at the bottom, enabling you to see through to the stem and to the ground beneath.
